Bohol OFW repatriation EO

Excludes those from Manila

CORTES, Bohol, May 2 (PIA)—Would being over-run by the quick succession of events be enough reason for Bohol to allow the return of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) stranded in Manila which is considered as coronavirus disease (COVID) hot zone, even without any established protocol that would be applied to them?

This question rings an alarm as the established protocols to be applied for returning Boholano OFWs, the one crafted by a team of medical experts under Task Force 1Bohol COVID Medical Team, only applies to repatriates from other areas and not the National Capital Region, where a high incidence of the disease would necessarily mean more stringent measures.

It may be recalled that Governor Arthur Yap announced on Friday, April 24, the drafting of the iBOhol COVID-19 Medical team repatriation protocols the same day it was signed.

Through Executive Order No. 25, which institutes the guidelines and protocols for the repatriation of distressed and returning OFW, the document has in its part, the crafted protocols by the 1Bohol COVID-19 Task Force Medical Team, one which was also accordingly adopted by the League of Municipalities of the Philippines Bohol Chapter in a Resolution dated April 20.

The order however explicitly stated that the repatriation protocol shall not apply to returning Boholano OFWS from the National Capital Region.

Considering the high incidence of the cases in that region, the medical team could have thought a different protocol should be applied for them who would come from the NCR.

In a published letter to COVID-10 National Action Plan Chief Implementor Sec. Carlito Galvez, dated April 25, Gov. Yap sought for the official’s time so he could appraise the national government of the situation in Bohol.

“Please do not think that since we have remained COVID-free, we are free to just receive people coming back from infected zones like Manila or Cebu. Please do not think we are not under threat or that we can manage the situation,” Yap wrote. 

That letter was in reaction to the news he received about the travel authority of 262 returning OFWs to Bohol from Manila dated April 20.

The governor told Sec Galvez that Bohol is ill prepared, ill equipped and a surge of infections would certainly collapse the heath-care system making Bohol helpless in protecting its 1.3 million people.

Gov Yap then asked the NAP chief implementor for a meeting before deciding on schedules of arrivals, agreements on testing protocols and other arrangements.

By Monday, the Manila group of returning OFWs has boarded the boat to Bohol.

This came too, after the Inter Agency Task Force through Resolution No. 18, which provides for recommendatory measures to manage COVID-19 outbreak situation, strongly enjoined Local Government Units to allow the unhampered transit of OFWs who have been issued the DOH or LGU certificate of completion of 14-day facility based quarantine.

On the case of Bohol, “as the province recognizes the need to allow these OFWs entry for humanitarian reasons, it also intends to strike a balance between their reunion and reintegration with their families and ensuring the safety of 1.3 million Boholanos from the threat of COVID-19, as these repatriates could also be carriers of the virus that could mar Bohol’s COVID-free status,” Gov Yap explained.

According to the 1Bohol COVID Task Force Medical Team crafted guidelines, the repatriated OFWs should have completed a 14-day supervised and duly certified

by the DOH of the point of origin, followed by a negative result of a Food and Drugs Administration-approved rapid antibody test.

Should a person test positive, he shall remain in the point of origin and undertake and TR PCR test for viral ribonucleic acid, following established protocols.

If an OFW is in a group quarantine, and any member of the group tests positive by rapid antibody test, the whole group shall remain in the place of origin for further PCR viral RNA test.

For OFWs who have tested negative for the rapid antibody test and has completed the mandatory 14 day quarantine, he shall present the DOH certification of quarantine completion to Overseas Workers Welfare Authority and the PEMA in Bohol, where the PEMA must get this 24 hours prior to their departure.  

One more thing, the returning OFW must exhibit no symptoms such as fever, cough, coryza, sore throat, diarrhea and shortness of breath at the time of boarding the vessel.

And to make sure the OFW coming in is really free, the person with symptoms would be denied boarding, regardless of a test or a certification issued to that effect. 

According to the TF medical Team, on the day of departure, there must be no travel disruption of the OFWs from the place of origin to the seaport or airport, and from the seaport or airport to the quarantine facility or hotel, them not even allowed to disembark if the ground transportation is not ready yet.

To be sure, OFWs who tested negative via rapid antibody test in the point or embarkation shall be tested for PCR a week after they arrive in the quarantine facility to confirm the rapid antibody test.

According to the EO based on the Medical Team recommendations, the quarantine facility shall be PEMA-approved, where quarantine protocols are followed without exemptions and family members can not visit to see their relative on quarantine duration.

And once a positive case is found in the group on quarantine or in Bohol, the repatriation processes would be suspended temporarily, as to TF medical Team and now made integral in the EO.  

The 1Bohol Covid Medical Team crafted repatriation protocol however does not apply to returning Boholano OFWs from the National Capital Region, due to the high disease burden in the region, the EO said.

Last April 28 at about 3 AM, a batch of 17 Boholano OFWs from Cebu in Tagbilaran via Lite Shipping and went directly to Mercedarian Retreat House in Union Dauis. By 6PM, another batch of 48 OFWs from Manila arrived and were reportedly housed at the Crabhouse in Mansasa District, Tagbilaran City.

BOHOL ILL EQUIPPED FOR COVID. Bohol Governor Arthur Yap wants to tell the national government the local situation and the position that Bohol will have to agree on the schedules of arrivals, coordination before allowing the OFWs to sail. Despite these, the OFWs arrived before Bohol could even react. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol/FOTO: RVO)

HERE THEY COME. 48 returning Boholano OFWs from Manila get loaded on two shuttle buses to CrabHouse, a roadside tourist billeting facility approved by the Provincial Emergency Management Administratiuon as quarantine facility for them, despite no provisions of management protocols drafted for them from the National Capital Region with high incidence of coronavirus disease. (rahchiu/PIABohol/foto by RVO)